The holiday season fills most of us with excitement, nostalgia and anticipation. We look forward to holiday festivities, beautiful decorations, special gatherings and the exchange of gifts between family and friends.

What we sometime forget during all the hustle and bustle is not to get in over our head in debt. In order to avoid going over budget and causing stress instead of bliss.

Here some tips to help keep your holiday spending under control.

• Set a budget and acknowledge your limitations.
• Make a list of the people you are purchasing gifts for, the amount you wish to spend and the item you wish to purchase. This can help reduce the chance of impulse purchases.
• Prioritize your purchases – you just might find the purchases at the bottom of your list are not necessary.
• Pay with cash or debit card – many surveys find shoppers who use credit cards tend to spend more on holiday gifts than those who pay with cash.
• Resist the urge to charge more than you can afford, use this rule of thumb – if you can pay this off at the end of the month — I can afford this purchase.
• Take advantage of sale items and free shipping.
• Give gift cards – these help you spend exactly what you intended.
• Evaluate your gift giving strategy – consider setting up gift exchanges with a set dollar limit.
• Stop shopping when you’re done shopping – just because you have six more days, doesn’t mean you need to continue spending.

Keep in mind that creating and following a budget can help you control spending. This can allow for an enjoyable, stress free holiday leaving you free to focus on family and fun.

Answers from AZ